Waterfront’s ‘designer dunnies’ third in rest room ‘Oscars’

The
Kumutoto toilets on Wellington waterfront have been voted
third best public toilets in the world by the website
Design Curial.

The toilets, also affectionately
known as the ‘lobster loos’, beat thousands of other
entries and were noted by the judges for making a strong
style statement as well as being designed to be
practical.

Councillor Ray Ahipene-Mercer, who was an
initial supporter and on the Wellington Waterfront Board
when the toilet design was chosen, says the Kumutoto loos
are another example of Wellington’s creativity and
thinking outside the square.

“While this is fantastic
news, it doesn’t surprise me. They’re creative while
being practical and fit very nicely with the waterfront’s
inspiring space and architecture.

“In the beginning they
did have some critics but let’s just say people who
‘engage’ with them are usually very positive about their
experience.”

Architect Bret Thurston’s design consists
of two unisex accessible toilets sited on the south western
corner of the Steamship Wharf Building that houses Fox
Glove, One Red Dog and Cuckoo. The toilets opened in August
2011 and a year later won the public category in the NZIA
Wellington Architecture Awards.

Wellington Waterfront
CEO, Ian Pike, says it’s a wonderful acknowledgement for
something that has become a Wellington icon.

“The
toilets have been compared with an armour-plated insect, a
crayfish tail, and even an aardvark. But the unusual look
makes them instantly recognisable and only adds to the
waterfront’s unique and special character. We are feeling
flushed with success!”

Design Curial’s website
editor, Jamie Mitchell, says the aim of the Rest Room
'Oscars' list was to celebrate creativity and design in
buildings often perceived as dull and dreary. If you want to
know more about the top ten toilet list go to designcurial.com

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